Mysterious Puna Hawaii: Graphic from Photo by Donald B. MacGowan

There are many wondrous, enigmatic and fascinating attractions on the Big Island of Hawaii, some better known than others, many out of the way and generally off the beaten track. Tour Guide Hawaii has produced an encyclopedic collection of the most up-to-date information, presented as short GPS-cued videos, in an app downloadable to iPhone and iPod Touch that covers the entire Big Island, highlighting the popular and the uncrowded, the famous and the secluded, the adventurous and the relaxing.

Unspoiled Puna

Morning reflection in a hot spring near Ahalanui Hot Spring, Puna Hawaii. In Hawai'ian, "Puna" means "spring" and there are a fabulous array of hot, warm and cold springs in the Puna District: Photo by Donald B MacGowan

It is often said that “Every new day in Hawaii begins in Puna”. In fact, it may very well be that Hawai’ian history itself begins in Puna, as well. Many local legends and family oral traditions hold that the Tahitians first landed on Hawaii Island’s eastern most spot, Cape Kumukahi in Puna, arriving there from Molokai.

Puna is important in the history of European exploration of Hawaii, too. The first European vessel known to visit the Hawaiian Islands, Captain Cook’s vessel Resolution, raised Hawaii Island on December 19, 1778 and was nearly grounded on Cape Kumukahi. Countless other vessels encountered difficulties along this rocky stretch, as well, necessitating the placement of the Kumukahi Lighthouse on the Cape in 1934.

Kaimu Black Sand Beach, Puna Hawaii: Photo by Donald B MacGowan

Modern explorers of Puna will find it beautiful, mysterious, untraveled and undiscovered by the herds of tourists (see scenic drive guide for Puna District, here). Not on the usual tour bus routes, Puna District has so far managed to avoid the noxious overcrowding seen in Hilo and Kona. Puna District harks back to a simpler, less harried time—what residents call “Old Hawaii”–a true time capsule of aloha.

Charming Pahoa Town is the gateway to the Puna District. Pahoa started off as a rough and tumble sawmill town, then became the center of the sugar industry. A crossroad on the old island railroads, trade and commerce flourished in Pahoa at the turn of the 20th century. An agricultural center today, the papaya, commercial flower and visitor industries drive Pahoa’s economy. Downtown Pahoa still shows off her history, with lovely turn-of-the century western and neo-Victorian architecture, false-front stores and wooden sidewalks, but with its own distinctive, Hawaii-style, panache.

Physically, Puna District comprises the rainiest part of the island and its climate is best described as “mild tropical and rainy”—in fact, rain can often be quite intense. A single storm in 2003 dumped 3 feet (90 cm) of water on Puna in just 4 hours. As an interesting observation about Puna District, which is itself the same size as the island of Molokai, is that is has but one lake and no rivers. The volcanic landscape is so young, so gently sloping and so porous that the rain, once it hits the ground, percolates immediately through the surface layers of rock and soil into the subterranean aquifer. This comprises a huge resource of fresh groundwater for agricultural and municipal use and also explains why flooding is rare in Puna District.

Vegetation zones range from coastal strand to desert scrub to deep tropical jungle. In Puna, large, intact areas of native forest can still be found, preserved from the eruptions of Mauna Loa and Kilauea, at Kahauala and Wao Kele o Puna. An extensive network of subterranean lava tubes runs throughout Puna and there are many opportunities to explore them with commercial guides, or for the experienced and prepared, on your own.

The residents of Puna tend to be individualists, socially liberal, embracing of alternative culture and lifestyle; there are most certainly a lot more musicians, artists and poets in Puna than accountants, insurance agents and attorneys.

Also true is the fact that many native Hawai’ians living in Puna regard it as the last bastion of THEIR land and initially may not be as welcoming as you might hope. However, the rewards of discovering Puna District’s secrets are very much worth the extra effort, and the people you meet in this piece of hidden Hawaii are certainly fascinating and overflowing with aloha.

Looking up at the tree canopy in Puna Hawaii: Photo by Donnie MacGowan

At Tour Guide our goal is to insure you have the most fun, most interesting and enjoyable vacation here in Hawaii–that you are provided with all the information you need to decide where to go and what to see, and that you are not burdened with out-dated or incorrect information.

Puna is full of funny surprises, the unexplainable and the unexpected: Photo by Donald B MacGowan

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Lava flowing into the ocean at Waikupanaha in Puna Hawaii: Photo by Donald B MacGowan